It was an accomplishment as big as Texas, but it was a team from tiny Boerne that almost pulled off becoming the world’s greatest Little League team.
Late Monday afternoon they were welcomed back from Williamsport, Pennsylvania by a town that loved them so much, they threw them a parade—a parade that got rained on—but with the drought, Boerne was just fine with that.
Boerne's mayor, Frank Ritchie, was enthusiastic.
“Let’s get a hell, yeah Boerne!” he said to the crowd.
A big chunk of Boerne was there under a heavy rain to welcome their boys of summer from their trip out east. At least 3,500 crowded around the gazebo in scenic Main Plaza.
Chamber of Commerce CEO Kimberley Blohm introduced the speakers in a steady rain.
“I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for being here today to show your support! It was rain or shine, baby!” she said.
The Boerne All Stars had just arrived less than two hours before in San Antonio and were treated to a parade down Boerne’s Main Street.
Rich Sena is on the board of the Little League.
“Here in Boerne, there were hundreds of people at every single watch party, and everyone was having a blast," Sena said. "You know, in a country where we're so divided by so many things, this unified our town in ways that we haven't seen it unified in a long time.”
School board member Courtney Darter-Bruce says what they accomplished isn’t just wins and losses.
“It's bigger than a sport. It's bigger [than] what the numbers are in a scoreboard. It's just an amazing statement of who these boys are, who they represent,” she said.
This Boerne team has been playing—and winning—for months. In fact, they hadn’t lost a game all season and won their first three games at the tournament in Williamsport. Coach Johnny Collins says the experience could’ve overwhelmed them.
“We were pretty nervous how they were going to handle all the lights and the people, but they just acted like it was another baseball game, which was really, really neat,” Collins said.
Boerne was unbeatable until injuries began taking their toll. Finally, after 17 wins in a row, a team they’d beat two days previously—Florida—beat them 4-3 to clinch the national championship.
“We've had more than fun. It's been an unbelievable ride. The kids have been great through the whole process," Collins said. "Been a big stage for them to play on, and they handled it really, really well.”
While there were several stars on the Boerne team, perhaps its standout star was Julian Hurst. He said the experience in Williamsport was incredible.
“Yeah, it's a great vibe. Everyone there is just so nice. And it's lovely there,” he said.
He noted it was fun to get to know kids his age from all over the world, even though they were competing against one another.
“We were next to Japan, Mid-Atlantic and Venezuela while there, so we were able to connect some with them,” he said.
While not going all the way and winning the Little League World Series was a tough blow, the experience won’t make him put away his bat and glove.
“I plan on playing baseball for the rest of my life,” Hurst said.
Coach Collins said there were things bigger than baseball that the game of baseball was able to show them.
“I'm just really proud that the boys handled themselves the way they did after a really tough loss," Collins said. "To me, that's them staying grounded in their faith. These kids were told by their coaches many times, this game is a game. It is not their identity.”
The rain let up and as the festivities wrapped up, the boys met with young fans and gave autographs to all who wanted them.
